Senior Finance and Budget Assistant

Contract

This is a G-7 contract. This kind of contract is known as General Service and related categories. It is normally only for nationals. It usually requires 7 years of experience, depending on education.

Salary

The salary for this job should be more than 2,481 USD.

Please keep in mind that the salary displayed here is an estimation by UN Talent based on the location and the type of contract. It may vary depending on the organization. The recruiter should be able to inform you about the exact salary range. In case the job description contains another salary information, please refer to this one.

Org. Setting and Reporting The United Nations Human Settlements Programme, UN-Habitat, is the agency for human settlements. It is mandated by the UN General Assembly to promote socially and environmentally sustainable towns and cities with the goal of providing adequate shelter for all.

The position is located in the Budget and Finance Unit of the Resource Management Section within the Management Advisory and Compliance Service (MACS) at the Nairobi duty station.

Under the supervision of the Chief of the Budget and Finance Unit, the incumbent will be responsible for the following duties:

Responsibilities Budget •Acts as Certifying Officers on behalf of and in the absence of programme management officers at offices outside headquarters. •Undertakes reviews, analyses and preparation of the programme plan and its revisions. •Reviews, analyses and assists in the finalization of cost estimates and budget proposals, in terms of staff and non-staff requirements, including programmatic aspects; ensures compliance with the programme plan and other legislative mandates. •Assists managers in the elaboration of resource requirements for budget submissions. •Undertakes research and provides support to higher level Finance & Budget Officers with respect to budget reviews of relevant intergovernmental and expert bodies. •Provides input into the preparation of allotments, including redeployment of funds when necessary, ensuring appropriate expenditures. •Monitors budget implementation/expenditures and recommends reallocation of funds as necessary including the regular review of commitments against budget. •Reviews requisitions for goods and services to ensure correct objects of expenditure have been charged and confirms availability of funds. •Monitors extra-budgetary resources, including review of agreements and cost plans for cost recovery activities, ensuring compliance with regulations and rules and established policies and procedures. •Assists in the preparation of budget performance submissions. •Assists in finalization of budget performance reports, analysing variances between approved budgets and actual expenditures. •Monitors integrity of various financial databases. •Verifies accuracy of input data, ensuring consistency of data in previous allotments to new allotments issued. •Co-ordinates with other finance and budget staff on related issues during preparation of budget reports.

Finance •Analyses complex and/or unusual cost recovery accounting transactions and difficult claims. Makes recommendations to Chief of Unit/Section on appropriate follow-up procedures. •Assists with the processing of billing related to internal work/service orders, client support and external parties. •Reviews and reconciles various clearing accounts to ensure appropriate balances. Investigates erroneous/invalid entries and takes appropriate corrective accounting action. •Assists the Master Data Management Team and service providers to establish the cost of services and maintains cost accounting master data, allocation rules, allocation cycles and statistical key figures; •Assists in the preparation of financial statements for various funds, e.g., general, technical co-operation, trust funds, revenue and other special accounts. •Certifies and processes organisation management (OM) adjustments ensuring compliance with relevant rules and control procedures. •Assists with monitoring the level of income received from cost recovery and advises senior management on availability of funds and possible corrective measures. •Provides guidance and training (including the preparation of training materials) to staff at Headquarters and in the field with respect to transaction processing and the use of various systems. •Drafts/prepares memoranda and responds to queries by staff members, internal and external auditors and from their counterparts in offices away from Headquarters. •Files and archives as required.

General •Keeps up-to-date on documents/reports/guidelines that have a bearing on matters related to programme budgets, ensuring compliance with intergovernmental recommendations and decisions as well as with United Nations policies and procedures. •Drafts or prepares correspondence to respond to enquiries in respect to relevant financial and budget matters. •Assists with the coordination of post management functions for both core and project activities. •Provides guidance, training and daily supervision to other general service staff in the area of responsibility. •Keeps up-to-date on current financial regulations/professional publications and accepted principles. •Performs other related duties, as assigned.

Competencies •PROFESSIONALISM: Knowledge of, and ability to apply financial rules, regulations and procedures in the UN environment. Knowledge, skills and ability to extract, interpret, analyse and format data across the full range of finance and budget functions, including programme development and database management. Ability to identify and resolve data discrepancies and operational problems. Shows pride in work and in achievements; demonstrates professional competence and mastery of subject matter; is conscientious and efficient in meeting commitments, observing deadlines and achieving results; is motivated by professional rather than personal concerns; shows persistence when faced with difficult problems or challenges; remains calm in stressful situations. Commitment to implementing the goal of gender equality by ensuring the equal participation and full involvement of women and men in all aspects of work.

•PLANNING & ORGANIZING: Develops clear goals that are consistent with agreed strategies; identifies priority activities and assignments; adjusts priorities as required; allocates appropriate amount of time and resources for completing work; foresees risks and allows for contingencies when planning; monitors and adjusts plans and actions as necessary; uses time efficiently.

•TECHNOLOGICAL AWARENESS: Keeps abreast of available technology; understands applicability and limitation of technology to the work of the office; actively seeks to apply technology to appropriate tasks; shows willingness to learn new technology.

Education High school diploma or equivalent is required.

Candidates must have passed the United Nations Administrative Support Assessment Test (ASAT) at Headquarters or an equivalent locally administered test at Offices Away from Headquarters. Passing the Global General Service Test (GGST) is a prerequisite for recruitment consideration in the General Service category in the United Nations Secretariat. Having passed the Administrative Assessment Support Test (ASAT) in English at Headquarters, ECA, ESCWA, UNOG, UNOV, ICTR, or ICTY may be recognized in place of the GGST, pending confirmation of validity. Applicants who have not passed the GGST at the time of application may be invited for the test after submitting an application.

Work Experience A minimum of ten (10) years of progressively responsible experience in finance, budget, accounting or administrative services is required. Working experience with an Enterprise Resource Planning (ERP) system such as Oracle or SAP is required. Experience with the UN Financial rules and regulations or similar organization is desirable. Work experience in post management is desirable. Experience working with International Public Sector Accounting Standards (IPSAS) is desirable.

Languages English and French are the working languages of the United Nations Secretariat. For the post advertised, fluency in oral and written English is required. Knowledge of another official United Nations language is an advantage.

NOTE: "fluency equals a rating of "fluent" in all four areas (read, write, speak, understand) and " Knowledge of" equals a rating of " confident" in two of the four areas.

Assessment Evaluation of qualified candidates may include an assessment exercise which may be followed by competency-based interview.

Special Notice This is a project post. Appointment against this post is for an initial period of one year and may be subject to extension. The position is subject to local recruitment pursuant to staff rule 4.4 of the United Nations Staff Rules. All staff in the General Service and related categories shall be recruited in the country or within commuting distance of each office, irrespective of their nationality and of the length of time they may have been in the country. A staff member subject to local recruitment shall not be eligible for the allowances or benefits exclusively applicable to international recruitment.

Staff members are subject to the authority of the Secretary-General and to assignment by him or her. In this context, all staff are expected to move periodically to new functions in their careers in accordance with established rules and procedures.

The United Nations Secretariat is committed to achieving 50/50 gender balance in its staff. Female candidates are strongly encouraged to apply for this position.

Internal Applicants – when completing the PHP, ensure ALL fields, ALL professional experience and contact information are completed and up to date. This information is the basis for the hiring manager to assess your eligibility and suitability for the position and to contact you.

Individual contractors and consultants who have worked within the UN Secretariat in the last six months, irrespective of the administering entity, are ineligible to apply for professional and higher, temporary or fixed-term positions and their applications will not be considered.

All applicants are strongly encouraged to apply on-line as soon as possible after the job opening has been posted and well before the deadline stated in the job opening. On-line applications will be acknowledged where an email address has been provided. If you do not receive an e-mail acknowledgement within 24 hours of submission, your application may not have been received. In such cases, please resubmit the application, if necessary. If the problem persists, please seek technical assistance through the Inspira "Need Help?" link.

United Nations Considerations According to article 101, paragraph 3, of the Charter of the United Nations, the paramount consideration in the employment of the staff is the necessity of securing the highest standards of efficiency, competence, and integrity. Candidates will not be considered for employment with the United Nations if they have committed violations of international human rights law, violations of international humanitarian law, sexual exploitation, sexual abuse, or sexual harassment, or if there are reasonable grounds to believe that they have been involved in the commission of any of these acts. The term “sexual exploitation” means any actual or attempted abuse of a position of vulnerability, differential power, or trust, for sexual purposes, including, but not limited to, profiting monetarily, socially or politically from the sexual exploitation of another. The term “sexual abuse” means the actual or threatened physical intrusion of a sexual nature, whether by force or under unequal or coercive conditions. The term “sexual harassment” means any unwelcome conduct of a sexual nature that might reasonably be expected or be perceived to cause offence or humiliation, when such conduct interferes with work, is made a condition of employment or creates an intimidating, hostile or offensive work environment, and when the gravity of the conduct warrants the termination of the perpetrator’s working relationship. Candidates who have committed crimes other than minor traffic offences may not be considered for employment.

Due regard will be paid to the importance of recruiting the staff on as wide a geographical basis as possible. The United Nations places no restrictions on the eligibility of men and women to participate in any capacity and under conditions of equality in its principal and subsidiary organs. The United Nations Secretariat is a non-smoking environment.

The paramount consideration in the appointment, transfer, or promotion of staff shall be the necessity of securing the highest standards of efficiency, competence, and integrity. By accepting an offer of appointment, United Nations staff members are subject to the authority of the Secretary-General and assignment by him or her to any activities or offices of the United Nations in accordance with staff regulation 1.2 (c). In this context, all internationally recruited staff members shall be required to move periodically to discharge new functions within or across duty stations under conditions established by the Secretary-General.

Applicants are urged to follow carefully all instructions available in the online recruitment platform, inspira. For more detailed guidance, applicants may refer to the Manual for the Applicant, which can be accessed by clicking on “Manuals” hyper-link on the upper right side of the inspira account-holder homepage.

The evaluation of applicants will be conducted on the basis of the information submitted in the application according to the evaluation criteria of the job opening and the applicable internal legislations of the United Nations including the Charter of the United Nations, resolutions of the General Assembly, the Staff Regulations and Rules, administrative issuances and guidelines. Applicants must provide complete and accurate information pertaining to their personal profile and qualifications according to the instructions provided in inspira to be considered for the current job opening. No amendment, addition, deletion, revision or modification shall be made to applications that have been submitted. Candidates under serious consideration for selection will be subject to reference checks to verify the information provided in the application.

Job openings advertised on the Careers Portal will be removed at 11:59 p.m. (New York time) on the deadline date.

No Fee THE UNITED NATIONS DOES NOT CHARGE A FEE AT ANY STAGE OF THE RECRUITMENT PROCESS (APPLICATION, INTERVIEW MEETING, PROCESSING, OR TRAINING). THE UNITED NATIONS DOES NOT CONCERN ITSELF WITH INFORMATION ON APPLICANTS’ BANK ACCOUNTS.